Since the pandemic-related air travel restrictions were slightly eased in Europe, the middle of the summer season of 2021 brought promising results for Wizz Air. The Hungarian low-cost carrier announced it has noticed a significant recovery in terms of passenger traffic in July 2021.
On August 3, 2021, Wizz Air announced it saw an increased number of carried passengers in July 2021. The airline flew a total of 2.96 million travelers. Meanwhile, the load factor, measured by the number of seats filled, reached 79% during July 2021. Compared to the same month last year, Wizz Air’s planes were 61% full.
One of the reasons why Wizz Air saw passenger numbers rising in July 2021, might be the 32 new routes to 19 countries the airline added from its new bases in Italy, including one at Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Rome Ciampino Airport (CIA) at the beginning of the month. The Hungarian air carrier also took advantage of the European Union COVID-19 Certificate, which was rolled out in early July 2021 and made air traveling easier and more attractive for European travelers.
However, due to prolonged mobility restrictions, Wizz Air recorded a €118M loss in Q1 2021, since it operated only 33% of its available capacity during the period. A significant increase in air travel demand helped the low-cost carrier to generate revenue of almost €200 million, which is an increase of 119% in comparison to last year’s levels. But such revenue was not enough to escape the loss, which reached more than €118 million in Q1 2021.
While expecting the rest of the summer season to be busy, Wizz Air has ramped up its operations and focused on business development. The airline has recruited and trained 600 additional staff members, including flight and cabin crew. It also has expanded the network by adding two more bases in the Italian market, including Rome and Naples, bringing several hubs in the country to a total of six. The air carrier now will offer its services to and from Milan, Catania, Palermo, Barin, Rome, and Naples.